Gone
by Slytherin Poet
Summary: Trying to steal an invention of the Professor's, Ace gets lost. He disappears for ten years, and Buttercup thinks he's gone. Everything changes. Terrible summary;I apologize. Please R&R. Rated T for adult themes and swearing. Trigger Warnings for self harm and implied prison rape.
1. Prolouge

I was six.

I first saw him during the darkest part of my childhood. I was tired, wet, and lost. Blossom saw some boxes to get out of the rain under, maybe catch a few Z's. But before we could rest, from the dark came a gang of green-skinned teenagers. They backed me and my sisters into a corner. It was not a good first impression.

Later that year, I see him again. And again. And again.

He convinced me to trust him, and then destroyed it. It was the first crush I had, and the most scarring. He threw me away like yesterday's trash.

The irony of that was not lost on Blossom, who reminded me constantly. "Get it? Because he lives at the dump?"

I did not think it was clever. Or even slightly funny.

For a six year old, I handled this secret wound badly. I beat any monster or criminal unlucky enough to cross me to a pulp. Several times, it was Ace himself. But I always went a little easy on him. Because no matter how much I regretted my thing for him, my scars, or ever meeting him, I still liked him.

About a year later, I was on patrol. It was pretty boring, because everyone in Townsville was at the unveiling of the Professor's new invention. Impatiently, I finished the sweep and flew to the Townsville Park, just in time to see the huge machine get switched on. Despite a large metal frame and what looked like pounds of switches and knobs, the most interesting part of the machine was the size of a door frame, a dark blue swirling portal. The entire thing was to the left of a stage with The Professor, the Mayor, Miss Bellum, and several other official looking people.

I switched my gaze to my sisters, both looking proud and standing next to the stage.

Landing next to Bubbles, I asked, "What'd I miss?"

Bubbles opened her mouth to respond as Blossom excitedly said "It's a multi-dimensional transporter! The Professor's best work to date. It's very advanced."

"Yeah, that," said Bubbles, not offended at the interruption.

The Professor started a speech about all the good that could come from the invention, yada yada yada. My gaze wandered across the crowd. Blossom's eyes were fixed on the Professor, and Bubbles was watching a butterfly by her leg. Some security force we were. None of us were really watching the machine.

"HEY!" A voice cried out from by the machine.

The Gangreen Gang was standing on the edge of the park by the machine, unnoticed while the Professor made his speech.

Blossom, Bubbles, and I flew over and stood in between the machine and the Gang. The Professor began to race toward us.

"Freeze!" Blossom said, as I ground my teeth. I was more than prepared for a fight, I wanted to… Wait, where was Ace?

There were only four of them. Snake. Big Billy. Lil' Arturo. Grubber.

They did not look take defensive stances, or even start cowering. They were just staring behind us, at the machine.

"Well, as long as you're coming quietly, we won't have to fight you." Blossom said, unsure. "But you have to tell us where Ace is."

Silence. The Professor fought against the crowd gathering around the machine to reach us. Bubbles went to get him.

"Well? Where is he?" I shouted.

Eventually, Grubber raised his hand, and pointed behind us at the machine.

The cops began shepherding people away from the park and a possible crime scene.

Blossom blinked, looking first at Grubber and then the machine, and then gasped. The Professor and Bubbles made it over to us.

"He went into the transporter… but it was off!" Blossom told the Professor. "What does that mean?"

"It shouldn't mean anything. It means that young… um… _man_ is gone."

Ace was gone.


	2. Ten Years Later

I am seventeen.

The name's Buttercup. Unfortunately, I spend most of my time at Townsville High School. I walk, not fly, down the halls to my classes. Apparently flying upsets all the poor, normal children. Most of which wouldn't be alive if not for my sisters and I, but I wouldn't want to upset them, now would I? It's a joke. I sit in a chair while there are crimes being committed. Flying off in the middle of class was fine when we were in kindergarten. What were we going to miss? Coloring? Actually, Bubbles and Blossom are allowed to go crime fighting during class. Something about "passing all their classes" and "responsibility." Which is totally not fair. I've had to ditch a few times, when they needed me. Most of the time they don't, though, which is a real confidence booster.

During one particularly hellish day, I ran into Mitch, almost literally. He says "Hi," or "Sup," or "Kiss me, Buttercup!" I don't really recall. Everything he says makes me equally sick since the party he had last year.

I responded with a dirty look. He knew I wasn't interested in him, and he kept hitting on me. I briefly considered hitting back…

"Hey, Buttercup, listen to me!" He said, more angry than usual.

"What, Mitch?" I growled, wishing I'd gone a different way to math. "No, I won't go out with you, no, I don't have a cigarette, and no, I don't want to buy a wrestling team t-shirt."

He just rolled his eyes. "Mrs. Greene is looking for you. You're welcome." He winked at me, and began walking away, but not before I flipped him the bird.

I growled to myself, walking to the principle's office. I felt hope rise in my chest. Maybe I was getting sent home. But I didn't do anything questionable recently. Well, that they could prove. The Graffiti in the gym could've been anybody, and I hadn't beat anyone up that particular day.

I reached the office, which had a glass wall facing the hallway. The Professor was standing there, beyond the desk. He never came to school. If there was an emergency, we knew about it before he did. It couldn't be a family emergency. I just saw Bubbles in French, and Blossom before that at lunch. He didn't see me.

Not knowing what to expect, I walked into the office.

Mrs. Greene was waiting for me. She was the opposite of her sister, Ms. Keane. Instead of smiling at me when I walked in, her nose automatically rose into the air. "Miss Utonium," she managed to sound even more snooty. "You are being checked out."

"Why?" I aimed at the Professor, so Mrs. Greene wouldn't reply. I put my bag down.

"Well," the Professor said, seeming unsure of how to say something. "I'll explain when we're home. We're just waiting on your sisters now."

The Professor went to the waiting area and I watched the hall, looking for Blossom or Bubbles.

"Ahem," Mrs. Greene sniffed. "The waiting area is right over there, young... lady."

"Gee, thanks, Mrs. _Mean_, I never would have found it by myself." I said.

"Buttercup!" The professor exclaimed from the waiting room. Of course he didn't hear Mrs. Greene.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." I sighed. I almost snapped back more sarcasm, but Blossom and Bubbles walked in right at that moment. "Let's go," I said quickly, picking up my bag. Bubbles looked confused, and I could practically see Blossom jumping to conclusions. As she opened her mouth, I walked out the door. I expected them to follow me out, and talk on the way to the car, but they stood right where they were to talk. I sighed again, aware that I sounded like a whiny teenager. Oh well. I leaned against the outside of the office. I wanted to know what was going on, but no one seemed in a hurry, so it wasn't urgent, and I needed a breather.

I heard a "psssst" sort of noise and I looked up. On the second story hallway, which was open to the bottom, stood Butch. "Psst, Buttercup!" I flew up to him.

"Hey, Buttercup. I am getting especially irritated with school today. Want to go get pizza or something?"

"Nah," I sighed. "I'm getting checked out."

He looked into my eyes, suddenly alert. "Being checked out as in… you're leaving, or…?"

Butch knew all about my plan. I was surprised he didn't tell his brothers, and also glad, because Brick would've told Blossom. I still don't know what they saw in each other... besides that they were both annoying. I focused on the question. "No, Butch. Not today. And the Professor wouldn't know about it anyway."

He nodded. "I don't know what it's like to have a parent, besides Mojo Jojo, but he doesn't really count. But I do know that I'm sometimes jealous of the famous PowerPuff Girls. And not because you guys are famous heros, but because you have a dad." I flushed with shame. "No, I don't want to make you guilty," he added hastily. "I just want my best friend to stick around for a while."

I smiled, and punched his arm lightly.

"I'll tell you before I leave," I muttered. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

He just laughed, and walked down the hall. I noticed him rubbing the spot I hit, and I smiled to myself.

I floated back down, hearing the office door open and voices coming out. I followed the Professor out of the main building.

Blossom was staring at me. She was being uncharacteristically quiet. I glanced at Bubbles and the Professor. They were staring at me, too.

"I'll meet you guys home," I said, shifting into a better position to fly.

"Wait, Buttercup," the Professor said. He put a hand on my shoulder. "Before you go anywhere, let me explain."

I shrugged him off. "Professor, just tell me at home, okay?" I took off.

Bubbles and Blossom were right behind me.

I opened the door, and slunk over to the couch.

Blossom yelled "Wait!" But a moment too late.

Hearing a shuffle, I looked up to the staircase. Standing there was someone I had never expected to see again.

It was Ace, looking confused and not any different than the last time I saw him. In every way. He was still a teenager.


	3. Whaz Goan On, Indeed

A/N Sorry if I was unclear, but I'm sticking with the basics from the show. The girls were created by Professor Utonium, created with sugar, spice, and everything nice. They do have powers, but I'm changing around the special powers, because only Blossom got a legitimate one. So Blossom has ice breath, Bubbles can teleport, and Buttercup is nearly indestructible. The RRB have the "opposite" powers as the girls. Brick has fire, Boomer has invisibility, and Butch is a nearly unstoppable force. (This is supposed to be an immovable object, unstoppable force parallel with Buttercup.)

End A/N

I stared for a full ten seconds before flying outside to the Professor. He was still in the school parking lot, getting into his car. I did not expect to have something like that waiting for me at home, and I immensely regretted not listening to the Professor. I got to him, and opened my mouth. Nothing came out. I picked up his car with him in it and flew home. I pulled him out of the car and pushed him as gently as I could manage into the house.

I did not need this. I did not want this. The Professor had to fix it, to make it go away again. I went in behind the Professor. Blossom and Bubbles were both in the center of the room, eyes on Ace.

"Whaz goan on?" Ace slurred. I looked over at him. He was swaying slightly, and his sunglasses were tilted on his face. His clothes, torn jeans and a leather jacket were beat up, ripped and faded all over. I realized that he was actually wearing a shirt, but I thought he wasn't at first because it was hanging in rags. What happened to him? Where had he been? And why was he the same as ten years ago?

The Professor rushed up to the upstairs hallway to Ace, who had started to fall over. Bubbles beat him to it, her powers getting her there just in time. I slowly floated over, reaching them at the same time as the Professor. Blossom hadn't moved. I forced myself to look down at Ace, his face smooth and untroubled. He was unconscious. I moved my gaze to the Professor. He looked at me in apology.

I sensed a wild look on my face, so I put on a poker face to speak. "Explain," I managed.

The professor sighed and, abandoning any attempt at the gentle approach he'd been trying, he replied, "I've been working on the multi-dimensional transporter on and off since this young man got lost in the portal. I knew if he got in, then I could get him out." The Professor had a strange, sad look on his face. "Bubbles, could you take him to the guest room?" She complied, and the Professor and I followed as he continued. "I thought maybe the machine would send him to a random dimension, but that's not what happened. He didn't go anywhere."

"But-" I began, confused.

"No," he cut me off. "It appeared he went somewhere, because he wasn't here, but he wasn't anywhere. I'm looking into it...Today, I was close to a breakthrough on the transporter, and I couldn't get the formula right. Now, I've always been careful with the portal, just in case, but I was so upset, and I felt all hope was lost... So, I pushed the buttons in the sequence I suspected would work, but couldn't prove. And out he came. I need to research the correlation between the formula, and the …. place I sent him, and we need to keep him here for awhile, so I can-"

"No!" It was my turn to interrupt. "He can't stay here! He just can't, Professor!" I realized I was starting to shout. Calming myself down, I said, evenly, "Please."

"I'm sorry, Buttercup, but for the past ten years, I've felt responsible for his life. What I thought killed him. I need to make sure he's okay, and that this can't happen again. I won't let it happen again."

I couldn't speak, but something was nagging at the back of my mind.

"Professor... why did you pull us out of school?" I asked.

"Um," he shifted, uncomfortable. "I needed you girls. Not just for security, but because... I waited for so long. Ten years. I wanted you girls here... in case I couldn't handle it." At this point, he was talking to all of us, not just me. Bubbles put Ace on the bed, and we exchanged a glance. Blossom stopped at the doorway, an unreadable expression on her face.

Blossom had to be thinking of ways to get rid of Ace, and for once I felt myself agreeing with her. She floated into her bedroom, and shut the door.

I looked back at the Professor. Now, some may not call me the "sensitive" or "sympathetic" type, but the haunted look ok his face damn near broke my heart in two. I could put up with Ace. For my dad.

"So... what do we do when he wakes up?" I asked, unsure if I should have any responsibility with our new ward. The less I saw of him, the better.

Bubbles answered first. "We feed him, silly," she giggled. "He must be hungry."

My anxiety disappeared as I laughed. She had a point. The professor left to get Ace clothes, and gave us strict instructions to call him if Ace woke up.

I looked back at Ace as bubbles shut the door to the guest room, saying something about privacy. I made a mental note to listen carefully until he woke up, in case he tried anything. Part of me felt uneasy, like my subconscious knew that this boy, physically only a year older than me, had the potential to ruin everything. But most of me kept feeling sorry for him.

He had no idea what happened to his gang during the time he was gone. And it wasn't pretty.


	4. Sunglasses at Night

My sisters and I moved into separate rooms years ago. Bubbles nearly had a break down over it, she wanted to share a room forever. Blossom shared with her for a while, but they eventually split, too. All our rooms were on one side of the hallway, the other side open to a vaulted living room. Blossom had what was once the master bedroom at the far left of the upstairs, after the Professor built a bedroom in his lab. Her room was intensely pink, and sickeningly neat and clean. She had an adjoining bathroom, which I hardly ever visited. Next in the hall was a closet and then the guest room that Ace occupied, a bland room with a dresser and a bed, all in white. After that was Bubble's room, decorated bright yellows and blues, and filled with stuffed animals and art she'd made over the years. Then, there was the upstairs bathroom Bubbles and I shared, and at the end of the Hall was my room. I had green walls, a black rug over a wood floor, and band posters on my wall.

In one corner was my laptop and the beanbag I used it on. In another, the couch I used as a bed. A mattress lay in one corner, covered with clothes. I had a balcony, the only reason I didn't fight Blossom for the master bedroom. I opened my balcony door and turned off my light. My hair still wet from a shower, I sat on my couch, and put on my headphones, listening to whatever music could drown out my mind. I gave up. It was all too familiar. I got up, and started pacing. I pulled on an old pair of jeans, and a oversized black hoodie on top of my plain black tank top. I tied my sneakers as tightly as I could, and snapped the lock on my door shut. I dragged my beanbag chair out on the balcony, and sat in the late spring night.

Looking up at the stars, I felt a little better. I was dozing off when I heard an oomf! and someone falling from a window. I slowly peeked over the edge of the roof, and saw what I hoped I wouldn't have to deal with. It was Ace, running off, trying to disappear in the night. I sighed, getting up. I decided to follow him, to see where he would go.

He looked over his shoulder quite a bit, but I stuck to the shadows. He bumbled around, going ways I hadn't expected, leading nowhere. I couldn't understand where he was trying to go, but then I remembered that the city had changed since he'd last been in it. I flew down, right when he reached another dead end alley.

I saw his eyebrows rise above the rim of his sunglasses, and he backed up, trying to get away.

"It's a dead end," I said, and he stood up straight, his muscles relaxing.

"Who are you?" he asked.

I decided to tell the truth. "Buttercup," I said, and surprised myself by looking at the ground. I quickly returned my eyes to his face. He was shaking his head.

"No. Buttercup... The Power Puff Girls are kids. Little kids," he denied. He was wearing his leather jacket and sunglasses in addition to the white t-shirt and jeans the Professor brought him. His face twitched.

I was starting to feel really bad now. "Ace... what's the last thing you remember?"

His face twisted behind his huge sunglasses. "I know I wasn't in a coma or anything like that. I would be older, or, or... or something," he finished awkwardly.

"Just answer the question," I said, sounding braver then I felt. "Do you want help or not?"

"Okay, I remember the gang and me were at the park. We ...uh…" He glanced at me.

"You were trying to steal an invention of the Professor's." I finished for him.

"Um, yeah," he said. I wish he would take off the shades so I could read his eyes. My head swam and I pushed the thought out of my head as violently as I could. "Uh, Ace, I don't think you were in a coma. I think you were frozen in time."

Ace froze. He finally said "What?"

I sighed, unable to continue.

He stood up straighter, and tried to walk around me. "I wasn't frozen, and you're not a powerpuff."

I let him walk a while, and then flew in front of him, letting myself hover a few inches. "Ace, you were frozen in time."

"But why was I in your house? I still don't understand."

"Because you were trapped in the Professor's machine, and he thought he'd killed you or something, so now he feels all guilty." I grabbed him by the shirt suddenly.

"Listen closely," I whispered to him. "Don't think I've forgotten that you have your little tricks. If I suspect for a second that you're trying to manipulate my dad's guilt, I will hunt you down and kill you myself. Understood?"

His eyebrows were above his shades again.

"Yeah… I mean, I wouldn't dream of it…"

I smiled. He grinned back at me, and I realized we were hovering a few inches off the ground and just smiling at each other, so I dropped him, and turned away to hide my embarrassment.

"So," I told him. "You're coming back to my house and tomorrow you're going to convince the Professor that you are perfectly okay, so you can leave."

"I don't know, Buttercup, I think I might want to stay. Older you is growing on me."

I sneered at him, and prepared to fly off with him, putting my hands under his armpits from behind.

"Hey, that's not very comfortable," he complained.

"Tough."

I flew him to my balcony.

I went to my door, to listen. I was going to just sneak him down the hall, but I heard noises in the bathroom.

"Is this your room?" he asked, plopping down on my couch.

"Yeah, now get out." I shoved him out onto the balcony. "I'll fly you to the guest room."

The window was still open, I flew right in with Ace I tow.

I dropped him off, and stood in the room. Neither of us mentioned anything about what changed. He was scared, and I didn't know how to tell him.

"You don't have much in the way of entertainment in here."

"Nah, but I sure as hell got plenty to think about."

"Still… I don't trust you up here with nothing to do except plot. We have plenty of DVDs if you want to watch… You _do_ know what a DVD is, right?"

He snorted. "Yes, I know what a DVD is. And I wouldn't mind watching a few. I got plenty of movies to catch up on."

"That's right! You haven't seen any new movies for _ten years!_" I made my face as serious as I could. "I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative."

"Like the comic books?"

"Yes, the movie is _excellent._ You have to watch it."

"Tomorrow," he said, tiredly. I nodded, andstarted to climb out of the window, but he stopped me. "Oh, and... Buttercup?"

"Yeah?" I said cautiously.

He smiled. "Thanks."

"Welcome," I smiled back, and felt a flicker of… something I didn't have a word for. Something that hurt and felt good at the same time. I flew back to my room, changed into sweats and a t-shirt and fell onto my couch. I thought of his eyes I didn't get to see until I fell asleep.


	5. Just One

Breakfast was not fun. The Professor just stared at Ace while he ate, which made Ace uncomfortable, which made Bubbles laugh. I decided to take a page from Blossom's book and not say anything. The tension went unnoticed by Bubbles, who chatted freely with Ace. It was a lopsided conversation. The Professor was also blind to the atmosphere, but he hardly ever noticed anything anyway. This was going to be a long day. I kept my eyes on my cereal.

"Do you remember all the times we beat you up?" asked Bubbles cheerfully. Ace fidgeted with his food.

"Uh… I... Well... yeah," he finished, unable to find any better words. I glanced over, and Bubbles had gotten closer to him as she interrogated. She giggled, excited. Against my better judgment, I decided to help him out.

"What do you remember after falling into the... thingy?" I asked.

Blossom looked up. "The multi-dimensional transporter," she said without any tone.

I blinked, unsure if I was glad Blossom had snapped out of it or disappointed that she was going to start talking again. I was sort of enjoying her silence.

"I just remember Snake shouted something at me, and then, I was falling and it felt like big rocks were ripping at me for a few seconds. My clothes got destroyed."

I remembered. I caught myself thinking about the chest underneath his ripped shirt, and glared at my bowl.

"And then I was in a space that got smaller and smaller until Boom! Here I am."

The Professor shifted uncomfortably. "Ace, I'm sorry you were put through that. If I knew-"

Ace cut him off, " Um, you shouldn't apologize, seeing how I was trying to steal your... ah... thingy..."

Blossom sighed.

Ace continued, "I'm sorry about that. But I gotta get back to the dump now." He rose.

The rest of us looked at each other, and Ace, noticing the tension, stopped by the chair he had been sitting in. He didn't brush his hair when he woke up, and his bedhead added to the look of confusion that seemed to be a permanent fixture. It was sort of cute. Brushing the thought away, I stood up.

"Uh, Ace? We should talk about some stuff. Do you want to talk here or somewhere else?"

He looked around, still confused. His eyes rested on Bubbles for a split second. "Somewhere else."

I grabbed a jacket as I said, "Let's go for a walk."

We walked in silence for a few minutes. I walked all the way to an intersection we crossed every day in the car, and much more than that when we fight monsters or criminals. There weren't nearly as many emergencies as there were when we were six. After a while, people (and giant reptiles) seemed to get the idea. Don't mess with Townsville.

I paused at the intersection, thinking. Left led to the dump, Ace's old home. The road straight ahead led nowhere important. And to the right was Townsville Correctional Facility. I wished I could take him to the left. But the dump had nothing for him now. I turned right, sensing Ace's confusion at my hesitation. I heard him say something, as if he was far behind me. I turned around. He was far behind me. I had started flying without realizing it. I let him catch up and he asked again, "Where are we going?"

"Prison," I replied simply.

He backed up a step and looked at me with mistrust. "Why?"

Remembering that I've taken hm to jail many times before, and the cause of his sudden nervousness, I laughed. I couldn't help it. When I finally caught my breath, I looked at Ace, and, seeing the expression on his face, apparent even under those damned sunglasses, I started laughing harder. After a while, I calmed down. I looked at him seriously. "We're going to visit... an old friend."

I felt all of the laughter leave me. This was not going to be fun.

When we got to the prison, I had to find a way to get in without someone seeing Ace. He'd become infamous in Townsville since the incident in the park. Normally, I would just stick a hat on him, and swear the prison staff to secrecy. I am, after all, a Power Puff Girl. And I seriously doubt any one of the guards wouldn't back down after a threat from Buttercup Utonium. But I decided stealth was probably smarter. Blossom would be so proud. If I wasn't trying to smuggle Ace Couplar into prison to talk with his old gang member.

Damn, it would be a bit more difficult with Ace. I forgot he was green. Thinking of the color of his ski reminded me of his bare chest. I shrugged the thought aside for the second time. I told Ace to stay where I left him, and went inside. After some talk with the cop sitting at the desk, I went to go get Ace. He was gone. Shit.

I flew up, sweeping the ground, expecting the worst. Even panicking a bit. But, after a few seconds, I saw him. He had walked around the side of the building and was sitting with his back to the wall.

"Hey," I hissed, flying down. "You can't just run off like that, if you want me to remind you of what pain feels like, I will gladly-"

"Tell me what's going on," he said, his voice shaking.

"You… you're here to talk to someone you used to know. He'll explain everything." I hope.

He paused, thinking, and his eyebrows knit together. He looked up, slowly, and asked the question I hoped he wouldn't. "Just... one?"

I looked into the sunglasses, trying to find a spot where I knew I'd be looking into his eyes. I gave up, looking down at his feet instead.

I nodded, my throat swelling. "Just one."


	6. The Inmate

From behind the bars, I watched a man walk to a metal straight chair, and sat down. His hands were cuffed behind his back and he was wearing orange scrubs. He wasn't so little anymore.

Arturo De La Guerra, sentenced to five years for possession of illegal narcotics, turned his light green face to ours. I could see in his eyes that he'd seen things beyond his twenty-five years. His gaze did not rise beyond the small counter sticking out of the wall. He had a long scar across his face. I looked at Ace, and I sensed heavy emotion behind the sunglasses. What was he seeing? A friend he saw no more than two days ago in his own mind, ten years older. Lil' Arturo, the youngest gangster, was physically seven years older than him. A kid he used to look out for was now in prison, with haunted eyes. He wore his hair long, but no longer in his face. His big, wide eyes never left the couter.

I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned on the counter, looking beyond the bars, closer to Arturo. I whispered, gently, "Um, Mr... ah, Guerra?"

His eyes shifted to me, and he spoke. "Call me Arturo, or Art. No need to call me Mister..." His eyes return to the counter.

"Well, Art, um... we need to talk to you." I dropped the hint, hoping he would ask.

He did. "We?" And he peered over at Ace. His eyes grew even wider. He began speaking quickly in Spanish. It sounded like a prayer. He eventually finished, and grew quiet. Silence settled in again.

Ace numbly said "Lil' Arturo?"

Arturo laughed. "No one called me that in a long time. I was real small then. Had a little squeaky voice, too." He raised his eyebrows. "You ain't changed much," he added. The attempt at humor melted the silence. Ace ran his fingers through his long black hair. I couldn't help but notice how shiny it was, now that it was clean. I really needed to focus, but I'd never seen anyone so... sad, and guilty, and nervous, all at the same time. I tried not to stare at either of them as the conversation continued.

"So you recognize me?" Ace asked.

"I'd never forget you, boss," he slipped comfortably back into the old rhythm of speech. Even if Arturo was older, in almost every way, Ace was still the boss. But he didn't seem like it just then. He was fidgety and playing nervously with his clothes. He was wearing some work clothes of the Professor's. Faded jeans and an old black shirt with white paint spots. He messed with a loose string and made idle chitchat with Arturo. I could only watch him. He was intently talking about nothing, and he got more and more relaxed with each passing minute, and I just became more concentrated on his face. I suddenly realized that we only had a few more minutes of talk before Arturo was taken to his cell.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat, as nicely as possible. They both looked at me, as if they had forgotten I was there. "We came here to talk about, um, the changes Ace missed. Especially with the gang." I finished lamely.

Arturo sighed, letting air out slowly through his slight under bite. He spoke slowly, his accent fading slightly with the measured words. "The gang fell apart after you left," Arturo started. "We didn't know what to do. Snake tried to lead at first, and he pulled it off for a while. But we just seemed to get in more trouble without you there. You always had a way of making people listen to you, but we couldn't do that. So we tried a different approach. We did what you would never let us do. We started to sell drugs on the street. I worried about Billy, you know, when stuff got real. But he wasn't the only one I shoulda been worried for. It wasn't long before we got busted. One narc was all it took. He was just a kid. I was lucky. I was out getting food when the cops came to pick us up. I was able to say I had nothing to do with it, and just got caught with a few ounces of speed in my pocket.

"The rest of the guys got booked with selling, not just possession. I'm almost out now. Everyone else would've been out in a couple of years, but they didn't make it far in prison. It was tough, having green skin and all, and being just kids. We were just kids…"

Ace took all of this in. "So they're all dead?" he asked roughly, his voice breaking.

Arturo just nodded. I realized that Arturo had the same haircut as Ace. I wondered if Ace knew the legacy of loss he left behind. Was Arturo consciously idolizing Ace? Or, more accurately, the Ace he used to know? The Professor wasn't the only one who'd mourned him.

Ace made a small noise, and said, "How?"

"It's different for everyone. Big Billy accidentally started a fight with the wrong guy in the yard. Both he and Grubber died in the fight, which was almost a riot. Billy, Grubber, Snake, and me against twelve convicts. Snake and I were in the infirmity for a long time after that."

"Did Snake die from the wounds?" Ace asked darkly.

"No," Arturo started cracking his knuckles. "He got better, although we both got more time. Until that day, we'd been keeping our heads down. People didn't bother us. We were green. But we couldn't just let Billy face those guys alone. After that, we got noticed more. Snake's cellmate was crazy, and wanted to get out. He had a whole plan worked out so that he could escape, but it needed a distraction at the beginning. So he shanked Snake and yelled out for the guards. The punk wouldn't let the cops near the cell. He had a handmade flamethrower. I don't know how he got his hands on a lighter, or hairspray either. He got thrown in solitary, and made a break for it. He got most of the way down the hall before getting tazed. Snake was rushed to the infirmity ER, but it was too late."

Ace shook his head. "Man, those guys, I shoulda been there, I…"

"Boss, I hate to say it, but that's not all."

Ace's head was in his hands. He was sitting unnaturally still. He shook his head slowly and raised it. He opened his mouth, and I listened carefully for what he would say, but he just motioned for Arturo to go on.

"The doctor who looked at Snake after he died- he said that Snake was being, well, he said there was… bruises and stuff like that… that Snake…"

"Oh my god," Ace whispered. I had no idea what they were talking about, but Ace looked so distraught, I reached out a hand to comfort him.

The door opened, startling me, and in walked a guard. "Time to go," he said, not unkindly. We all stood simultaneously, and Arturo nodded his head toward Ace as he was led out. "I missed you, boss. Don't be a stranger, okay? And it's not your fault."

Ace nodded quickly and, since Arturo was now facing the opposite wall, said "Okay, yeah." His voice broke again.

Ace and I walked outside. He seemed far away, in a place I wouldn't be able to reach him. I half led, half dragged him to Townsville Dump. Maybe it was insensitive or stupid, but I thought it was the best place to go. We walked a few feet in before he stopped and turned in a different direction. Now I was following him. He walked away from any paths he'd used in the path and stopped at a newly discarded car. He climbed into the backseat and looked over at me. "I didn't want to go anywhere that would remind me of them."

I understood. I crawled in after him, wanting him to talk on and on, hating everything. I wanted him to break something, or maybe smile a devious smile, to assure me that he could handle this. Instead, he took off his sunglasses, and wiped his eyes. He turned away from me, and began sobbing. I flitted over, and recklessly threw my arms around him. He froze for a moment, and turned around, hugging my back. I sat there, letting him cry.


	7. My Fault

Ace

I was crying I front of a Powerpuff. Hell, I was crying ON one. But at the moment, I really didn't care.

My mind kept going back to the boys. Big Billy probably thought he was making a new friend in the prison yard, he thought everyone was his friend. There was a reason I never let us get into the drug scene. I didn't think Big Billy or Snake could handle it. They were my boys and I abandoned them, left them to die.

Snake. I thought of my best friend, dying slow, alone on a cement floor. And Arturo said there were marks on him. I knew exactly what he meant. When I found Snake in the street, he had the same bruises from the same thing. Someone sick fuck in that prison raped Snake like his stepfather did. Maybe even the same guy that killed him, the last person Snake ever saw. A stab of pain twisted through my chest.

I thought of Grubber, how he didn't talk to nobody, and only the gang could understand him. He didn't trust anybody else. He trusted us. Trusted me. And he was dead because I was gone. Only Li-

Only Arturo was left. He was always tough. I knew Arturo was lucky, but he wasn't out yet. What had happened to the other guys could still happen to him. Again, all my fault. I tried to feel nothing at all. I gripped harder at Buttercup, not even caring that she probably thought I was weak or a sissy. I flinched when she began to pat me on the back. I closed my eyes, and focused on the rhythmic patting. I tried not to think of anything but the sensation.

I took deep breath after breath, and looked up, arms still around Buttercup like a kid would hold a teddy bear.

I let the pain fade into the background as I turned to Buttercup.

"Thanks," I said, making my voice stay even, and I let her go, and wrapped my arms around myself.

She looked at me in surprise. "For what?"

For not leaving me alone, I wanted to say. Instead, I said "Just thanks." I didn't know why I would even talk to a Powerpuff Girl, much less this one. Probably the same reason why I was staying at the Utonium place. I didn't have much of a choice.

I wanted to be alone, but at the same time I didn't want Buttercup to leave. It didn't feel like I was with a Powerpuff. The Powerpuff Girls were little kids, kindergarteners who beat up people like me. Not this teenager, helping a criminal, willing to sit with me in a dump. I thought about the Powerpuff I remembered, from what seemed like a week ago. I barely even associated the two people.

I'd pretended to like Buttercup so we could get her sister's out of the picture. She was actually pretty cool, but at the same time I wasn't really interested in a six year old, I wasn't a pervert. What could a six year old know about that kinda stuff anyway? I didn't think it would hurt her that bad, and I didn't get what the problem was.

She was just a little kid. She _couldn't_ know about stuff like that, but at the same time, she and her sisters were created with superpowers and knowing how to walk and talk and everything. What if she knew about certain emotions, too?

I felt terrible. I've never felt bad stealing or lying to people, because it was necessary to the gang's survival. My boys depended on it, on me. This was different. But I also wanted to avoid feeling even worse, so I tried to think about something else, besides what I've done to people.

I got up, controlled the slight shaking of my hands, and asked, "Do you have a curfew or anything like that?"

She looked at me like I was missing something obvious. There was a pause where neither of us talked. Then she said slowly, as if I might have trouble understanding her, "It's like noon."

I rolled my eyes, feeling slightly better. I was just glad I was having a normal conversation. "How long do you think it'll take to build a new hideout?"

Her eyes widened slightly, and she smiled.

Yeah, I coulda looked for the old place, but I didn't want to remember all the times I had with the gang. It would be better to just build a new one.

We spent the rest of the day planning out the place, and gathering enough wood and sheet metal from the dump. I decided I could stay one more night over at the Powerpuff Girls' house.

Buttercup offered to fly us back, but I wanted to walk. I expected her to walk with me, but she just stuck around long enough to ask a few questions.

"Now that you're... by yourself, don't you want to get an apartment or something?" she asked. I hadn't thought about it. I shrugged.

"I'll probably leave town after I get some cash or something."

"And you know the Professor wants you to stay with us, to run some tests and interrogate you about the machine thingy," she added. "Are you gonna stick around for that?"

I shrugged again.

She asked, quieter, "Do you want to?"

I shrugged again. I looked over at her, but she was looking intently at the ground in front of her. Then, with a simple "Bye," she left.

I blushed, first at realizing why she was looking at the ground, and then in shame. I shouldn't be thinking about girls. I just found out I led to the death of my gang. My family.

I walked back to her house in silence. I had a lot to think about. My mind was going in circles, and I didn't hear the whoosh! behind me until it was too late to duck. I had just enough time to see who was coming right at me, and for everything to go black.


	8. Lost and Found

Ace didn't come back. I couldn't help but feel abandoned. I realized that it was stupid of me to think he would even want to come back, and that just made me want to hit something.

Fine. I had my plan still, and I was packed and ready to go. I just had to wait until everyone fell asleep. But it didn't happen like that.

At dinner, both the Professor and Bubbles seemed very unhappy at Ace's absence. Blossom was a chatterbox. At first I chalked it up to her joy at the sudden lack of Ace, but as dinner went on, I realized that she was avoiding that topic all together. Suspicions started to grow in the back of my mind, which grew to an aching fear as they spread to my heart. I stared at her a moment, and waited for an opportunity to speak. She kept up her constant stream of verbal diarrhea, so I had to interrupt. Darn, I just _hate _being rude to Blossom.

"Bloss," I started, my voice quiet. As she trailed off, I continued. "Where's Ace?" She became still, but I noticed her eyes grow fractionally wider.

She wasn't a very good liar. She started to stutter, and I stood up and yelled "What did you do?" Perhaps my tone was inappropriate for the dinner table, but after witnessing what Ace went through at the prison and dump, I did not give two shits.

Chaos erupted. Bubbles started crying, Blossom sputtered some more, and the Professor demanded to know what was happening. I got up, and flew out of the door.

I had to find him. Knowing Blossom, she would be no help at all. I stormed into her room, breaking the lock. I ripped through a white dresser full of pink clothes, and took out a small, white, leather-bound notebook. I opened it to the most recent plans, written neatly and methodically I ripped them out, and headed back out of my window. On the way, I grabbed my duffel bag, which had my money and everything I would need in it.

I was halfway down my block when I turned around and wrote a hurried note, knowing I might not see them for a long time.

Professor,

You never did anything but love and support us. I couldn't have asked for a better dad. I love you. Thank you for everything.

Bubbles,

I know I can be hard on you, and I don't say this enough, but I love you. Don't let anyone mess with you. You're pretty amazing, so remember that.

I love you all so much, but I have to go.

Love, Buttercup

I left no personal note for Blossom but I hoped she picked up on the "all" in the final paragraph. No matter how mad I was at her, she was still my sister. Even if I hated her guts just then.

I left.

Ace

I came to tied up and in a cold, quiet place. I had no idea where I was, and immediately felt claustrophobic and panicky. Was I back in that horrible nowhere- place? No, I decided. I felt a chill on my skin and a gag in my mouth, which oddly comforted me. This place was real. Then I remembered everything that had happened. After the initial pain of my basically leaving my gang to die, I felt horrible about leaving the Utonium family, especially Buttercup. It was the only thing I had left. They'd all been so nice to me. Well, except Blossom...

It hit me. Who could've kidnapped me? Someone who 1) knew I was back 2) had an issue with me, and 3) had the ability to knock me out cold.

There was only one person. The redhead.

Just as I figured that out, I heard laughter. It was high and snooty, a girl's laugh.

I felt the blindfold pulled off my face, and then a teenage girl got right back in it.

"My, my, my. Big bad Ace tied up by a little bitty girl." More laughter.

My eyes adjusted, and I felt a blast from the past. It was the Morebucks brat, a teenager now. She managed to look down on me even though she was bent down in my face.

Beyond her I could only see a small table near a wall to my right. It only had a lamp on it, illuminating a tiny area around my chair.

"I suppose you can never get rid of scum. Well," she smiled an arrogant mile and continued.

"Most of the other green scum was taken care of nicely."

My head exploded in anger. I started struggling in my bonds, glaring at the brat. She laughed again. "Oh the gangster misses his little friends? Too bad. I thought you actually wanted them dead, seeing how it was you that wasn't around to protect them. You just left them, and they died."

As she taunted, I got angrier and angrier, and twisted more and more. In the end, it did nothing. I wore myself out.

"You know, I am just supposed to hold you here, but I think I could have more fun than that."

I glared, wondering vaguely if she was going to kill me, and if I cared.

"That got you quiet." She walked outside the circle of light and came back with a wooden box. She set it on the table and opened it. She plucked up a knife, smiling viciously.

"Beautiful, isn't it? It should be, it cost daddy _lots_ of money. More money than you've seen in your entire pitiful life."

I sneered, hoping she would kill me quickly.

She pressed the blade lightly against the shirt I was wearing. I grit my teeth, but it didn't stop me from growling with pain as the blade cut through the fabric and into my skin.

"I wonder what color the blood of a green monster is. Hmmm. Red. Not very interesting. I'll just have to settle for a _lot_ of it."

The next cut, I couldn't hold back the scream.

Buttercup

I found the warehouse fairly easily. I didn't bother with doors. I just smashed through the ceiling of the room I knew Ace was being kept. I found him tied up with a bandanna in his mouth. He was barely conscious, and covered with blood, his shirt on the ground near him, bloody and in rags. Princess was there, wiping a blade clean. I flew at her in a haze before she could even open her mouth. I stopped after the first strike, however, remembering Ace needed help.

I took him to Townsville Hospital. I called the Professor, and he talked to the Doctors and took care of the paperwork.


	9. Dumped

It had been a few weeks since Ace was released from the hospital. I hadn't been home since I left the note, and Ace snuck out after only one night out of the hospital. I met him at the dump.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

He looked around, and I just watched him.

Eventually, he spoke. "Why did you help me? Not just when I was about to die, but… the entire time."

I thought about it and, with my usual level of wit, replied " I don't know."

He shook his head. "Yes, you do. Tell me."

I looked down, embarrassed. "You were so... different. Real. I need reality." I need away from this happy little city and it's happy little citizens and my sister, who thought you were going to break up the Power Puff Girls, but in reality, I decided to leave a long time ago and it turned out I was just waiting on you." I hadn't meant to say all that. I felt myself blushing and glaring at the ground. I made myself plant my feet in the ground.

He had raised his eyebrows as all of this gushed out of me. He didn't move, though. He asked one question. "How was I gonna break up you guys?"

I debated for what seemed like years in my head about whether to tell the truth or not. In the end, I couldn't come up with an adequate lie.

Ace nervously started to back up, and I could tell he regretted getting that close. I pulled him back, and although I was late, and the timing was bad, I answered him.

"Because I love you." I knew it was crazy and that I couldn't possibly love him, and I know I definitely didn't love him at first, but now I did, and what difference did it make?

He looked at me, shocked for a moment, and it was my turn to pull back. He quickly stopped me, and just looked at me for a minute, making me feel self-conscious. He wildly backed up, and whispered, "I want to skip town with you. But we should stay here tonight."

He went into the makeshift hideout we made together. I shuffled toward the old car we built it beside. I nuzzled into the backseat, and put my headphones on. I let music drown out my thoughts.

Ace

I knew I couldn't possibly love her. I really had just met her. She was nothing like the kid that used to beat me up. She still had a wild streak, but it was a different kind. Less aggressive, and more... restless. I knew I loved her, but I also knew I couldn't love her. I kept myself from going outside to see if she was even still there. I wanted to go back in time, to say "I love you too," to just kiss her, to focus on the one good thing in my life. Well, until I managed to fuck that up as well.

I listened to myself breathing for a while. I was breathing. Grubber, Billy, and Snake weren't.

How lucky for them, I thought, and immediately hated myself again. I sat up from the mattress I took from a newer part of the dump.

What if Buttercup came back? I thought as I fell asleep. She should have a nicer mattress to sleep on…

Blossom

All. She loves us all. I wasn't sure whether to gracefully accept that I had caused the very thing I was trying to prevent, or to continue down what seemed like a suddenly desperate and pointless course of action.

Even if Buttercup was being oblivious, I could see everything that had been happening. We all thought she was over him, but then he went missing and she sank into a moody and irritatingly decisive slump. I was fine with that. She was here, she did her duty, and most importantly, she was home.

As the Professor slowly started advancing on the multi-dimintional transporter, I was forced to mess with his equations, but never in noticeable ways. I never thought that the level headed, careful Professor would ever push buttons on impulse. I underestimated his emotional attachment to the failed experiment. Of course, exactly what I feared became reality. The gangster was back and oh-how-convenient, he was but a year older than Miss Buttercup Utonium. Then I had to call in a favor from Princess, in whom I have found an unlikely friend. She caught the criminal easily enough, but I once again underestimated the level of emotion involved from my family. I'm so used to Buttercup not caring about anything, I forgot she could feel that deeply about anything. I had to make a decision. I could either continue doing what I knew was in the best interest of my sisters, my family, and my town, or I could apologize, wait, and let the chips fall where they may.

Yeah, right.

Ace

I had no plan, no money and no gang. I was in the dump with a powerpuff who decided, after a few weeks of me being back, that she was in love with me. I thought I loved her, but I also knew that I wasn't in the best place, mentally. Maybe after hearing all that stuff from Arturo, I latched on to the closest female. But I still caught myself watching her through my sunglasses, sure she couldn't see me doing it.

I felt worse than I ever had in my life. Torn up and aching and longing and crushed all at the same time. I wish I didn't feel anything. I really just wanted to be alone, but I needed Buttercup to help me avoid her psychotic sister.

She was still at the dump when I woke up.

"Uh... Do we need to be doing something?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at me. "Oh. Well... we need to find a place to go. Find jobs. After we figure out a way to make Blossom deal with us," she turned pink. "I mean, with what happened. After that, we can both go our separate ways. We won't-"

She kept talking, and I realized that she wasn't mad, or tired or whatever.

She was embarrassed.

I blew her off less than a minute after she told me... what she told me.

She was still going. "-but it wouldn't have to-"

I interrupted, "I'm sorry." Instead of waiting for her response, I thought about what just came out of my mouth. I only said sorry to the gang, and only when I meant it. I'd never said it to a girl before. Girls were strange people that were easy to charm into what I wanted, which was mostly stuff to help the gang survive, or get power. I never let a girl get close to me. Not that I had them lining up. Studies have pretty much proved that being green is a giant turnoff.

I was an idiot. I lost just about everything, and boom. Something in my life goes right and I screw it all up.

Buttercup hadn't moved since I apologized. I decided to stop being such an emotional wreck. I walked over to her, and grabbed her shoulders.

As I leaned in, she put up her hand. I thought she was trying to stop me. I stepped back, looking down. But she stepped with me, her hand still reaching. In one swift movement, she took the shades off my face, grabbed my shirt, and pulled my face to hers.

Bubbles

I knew Buttercup was leaving eventually. I saw it coming when she insisted on not sharing a room anymore. I liked sharing a room, even if we had to share a bed. The sound of my sisters sleeping was comforting. Blossom's soft snore and Buttercup's drool were reminders of love when I woke up from nightmares. I cried about that for a long time before I saw what was really happening. Buttercup was convincing herself she didn't need us. She was drifting away, and the harder I tried to make her stay, the more her feet dug in with each step she took. But the good thing about her missing something, is that she'll realize she found it (they sort of found each other, actually) and that she can have that and her family at the same time. As long as she still has a family to come back to.

I had to talk to Blossom...


End file.
